M*A*S*H Anachronisms

Introduction

An anachronism is an object or a person or a thing that doesn’t belong in the time period it is found in, like a Roman soldier using a machine gun. Any film or television series set in the past has to be careful to present the time period as accurately as possible. However, it is inevitable that some historical inaccuracies will take sneak in. For example, a film set in the early 1960s using music from the late 1960s would be considered anachronistic.

The producers of M*A*S*H worked hard to make the series feel like it was set in the early 1950s, but it is understandable that a few anachronisms would slip in. Usually, these mistakes would take the form of a passing reference to a film or some other aspect of pop culture not realized until after the Korean War ended in July of 1953. Pointing out these anachronisms is not meant as a slight against the series.

The Huey Helicopter

In several early Season Two episodes, a model of a helicopter can be seen hanging from the ceiling in Henry’s office. It appears to be the same “Huey” model on the banner in the Officer’s Club (see above). According to posts by Larry Gelbart at the alt.tv.mash newsgroup on Usenet (see here, via Google Groups) the model was made by his son and removed once it was found to be anachronistic.

Left: “For the Good of the Outfit;” Right: “Kim”

In many episodes, a red banner/poster with the words “4077th MED CO AIR AMBULANCE” and the image of a helicopter with a red cross on it can be seen in the Officer’s Club. However, the helicopter is not the famous type seen in the opening credits that was actually used in the Korean War. It may be a “Huey” chopper that was used in Vietnam.

Left: “For the Good of the Outfit;” Right: “Wheelers and Dealers”

Other Anachronisms on M*A*S*H

Browse through the following list of anachronisms discovered so far:

In several episodes, various characters drink from aluminum beer cans, which weren’t used until the late 1950s/early 1960s. See The Can Manufacturers Institute for more information.

In the first season episode “Tuttle,” Radar is seen reading an issue of Captain Savage and His Battlefield Raiders! which was originally published by Marvel beginning in 1968. The issue in question is #10, from January of 1969. See Comics.org for more information.

“Tuttle”

Submitted by EC:
In “Mail Call Three,” Radar states that his mother’s boyfriend takes her to bingo night in his Nash Metropolitan, a vehicle not introduced in the United States until March of 1954.

Submitted by BZ:
The pinball machine in the Officer’s Club is a Gottlieb “Spot-a-Card,” not introduced until 1960, some seven years after the war ended. See The Internet Pinball Database for more information.

“Wheelers and Dealers”

Submitted by Eddie:
In the Season Eleven episode “Give and Take,” Klinger hands out Hershey chocolate bars to soldiers recovering in Post-Op. Universal Product Codes (or UPCs) are clearly visible on the back of the wrappers. UPCs were not used until 1974. In an earlier episode, Season Four’s “The Bus,” Frank pulls several chocolate bars from his knapsack and hands them out; no UPCs are visible.

Left: “Give and Take;” Right: “The Bus”

Submitted by Eddie:
At the start of Season Four’s “Der Tag,” Radar is seen reading a copy of the Avengers comic book, which was first published by Marvel in 1963. Additionally, the issue itself switches from #72 (originally published January 1970) to issue #60 (originally published January 1969). Another mistake! See Comics.org and Comics.org for more information.

“Der Tag”

Submitted by Eddie:
The Godzilla movies were mentioned, but Godzilla wasn’t released in the United States until April of 1956, several years after the war had concluded. The original Japanese version was released in November of 1954. See the Internet Movie Database for more information.

Submitted by Eddie:
Another film, The Blob, was also mentioned, but it too wasn’t released until long after the war had ended in September of 1958. See the Internet Movie Database for more information.

Submitted by Steve:
In “Movie Tonight,” Radar does an impersonation of John Wayne, from the film McLintock!, which wasn’t released in the United States until November of 1963. See the Internet Movie Database for more information.

“Movie Tonight”

Submitted by Matt:
In “Aid Station,” when Colonel Blake is picking a corpsman to go with Hawkeye and Hot Lips, Hawkeye objects to Blake being the one making the decision because he always has something up his sleeve. Blake says he’ll let Father Mulcahy choose, “You do trust the father, don’t you?” Hawkeye replies, “It says so on all my money. If you can’t trust your money, who can you trust?” The phrase “In God We Trust” wasn’t added to all U.S currency until September 1957. See the United States Treasury for more information.

Not Anachronisms

Submitted by Robert, Corrected by Phil:
Captain Stone’s use of a Minox camera at the end of “A Smattering of Intelligence” is not an anachronism. Although the specific make and model of the camera he is using cannot be determined, Minox cameras were first produced in 1938/1939, long before the Korean War. See The Minox Historical Society for more information.

The episode where Pierce is being court martialed has a scene where Burns is searching Radar’s desk, he pulls out several comics including X-Men, Avengers and Amazing Spiderman, None of these were published until 1963

1. The style of play did not start until years later.
2.The paddle was too modern.

The whole attitude of the show was to make fun of Frank who claimed Americans were best – but the writers knew better (although at that time period Americans were the best and Asian players did not appear on the scene until well after the war.).

I am reading a book by a pilot who flew Cobras in Vietnam and the C&C during the opening of the battle that became know as Hamburger Hill was named Weldon Honeycutt….his nickname was “Blackjack”. Interesting coincidence??

Sorry, I know It’s not anochronastic, just thought it was interesting considering the two Huey pieces on display in certain episodes. Was a write or set builder affiliated with medevac during Vietnam in any way?

At least in regards to the movie anachronisms, while underway in the Mediterranean, we saw plenty of early release movies, prior to release on the mainland. In regards to Godzilla, it is conceivable that a soldier on r&r in Japan could have gotten ahold of a copy, and ‘convinced’ Radar to show it.

I looked through several of these but did not find the error of an F-4 Phantom II flying overhead. I vague remember Burns was on the radio saying the plane was overhead to mark the spot where they were lost.

Sorry if this has already been mentioned ad I missed it, but The “In God We Trust” on money anachronism as noted in “Aid Station” also happened in “Change Day”. When BJ speculates that the paper money he is holding may be counterfeit, he reads (jokingly) “In Buddha We Trust” on the bill. The joke of course being that it should read “In God We Trust”. But as noted above regarding the “Aid Station” mention of money, “In God We Trust” did not appear on paper money until 1957.

Sorry if this has already been mentioned and I missed it, but The “In God We Trust” on money anachronism as noted in “Aid Station” also happened in “Change Day”. When BJ speculates that the paper money he is holding may be counterfeit, he reads (jokingly) “In Buddha We Trust” on the bill. The joke of course being that it should read “In God We Trust”. But as noted above regarding the “Aid Station” mention of money, “In God We Trust” did not appear on paper money until 1957.

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